HUNTER

ii. the gathering

"Honey! I can't believe it! You're just the right age for the gathering! Just do your best, and I'm sure you'll be voted right!" Jonessan exclaims. Dylan, her only son, smiles sheepishly. "Yeah... I'm sure I'll get her vote."

Dylan's little sibling Hail comes out from their room. "I mean, you'd better get it! We'll be rich if we get this up!" They stretch. Hail is 11 years old.

Dylan knows that Jonessan and Hail are relying on him. But the family of three knows that there are so many other boys.

"Hey, Dill... May we have a, erm, reality check in the bathroom?" Hail asks.
"Uh, sure!" Dylan smiles anxiously.

In the bathroom, Hail grabs onto Dylan's shoulders.
"You suck. You can't just be yourself and expect that to win a hellious princess over. But if you fake your personality, you'll be as tense as a rock."

Dylan chuckles nervously as Hail slaps him across the face. "If you mess this up, which you probably will, you're dead."
Hail turns on their ankle as Dylan grabs Hail's wrist.

Hail whips their head around, and for a good minute, the two hold eye contact;
Hail's glare is aggressive, and Dylan is sympathetic.

A moment's pause beat before Dylan whispers, "I love you,"

"Psh!" Hail's head whips around, and their curly, messy hair is just long enough to hit him as they kiss Jonessan "Good-bye Mom!", on the cheek and they left for school with a bagel in hand.

He looks in the bathroom mirror sadly. Knowing he will fail, he can't seem to 'man up!'. But his family expects him to come home with the money.

It's a win for Hail and Jonessan if Dylan is chosen as Princess Deliah's man; he will leave for 5 years, and they will be paid. It is unlikely.

Screw logic, Dylan thinks. I'm gonna win this for Hail. Screw Jonessan, He wipes his wet eyes, I'm doing this for Hail.

He 'mans up!' as Jonessan gives him a bagel with a sweet, fake, and beautiful smile.

Hail is waiting outside with their friends. A shy girl named Rose, who never had spoken to Dylan, but instead whimper and hide behind Hail. A 12 year old boy named Allax, who was quite the muscle. A skinny, scrappy redhead feminine boy with big owl-horned glasses and a pink skirt, who's name was creatively Josh.

"Good luck." Rose whimpers, along with Allax saluting him. Josh bows, and Hail jumps up, onto Allax's shoulder's. Hail is small, but on top of Allax they are able to hold onto Dylan's collar.

"Do your best."

Dylan nods as he hugs Hail, and pats their group.
He is off into the Town Square, where I look around frantically, for a sign of anyone I might know.

I am saluted by this boy. "I am Dylan. Nice to meet you." I do not know him.

"Uh." I freak out. I'm not prepared yet. I am not allowed to talk to anyone until we are in the big tent, training. 

"Um," What am I supposed to say? I'm supposed to act ladylike, and now I'm freaking out over an introduction.
As you may see, I am not in my Princess Deliah persona. I am Dell, as of right now. I need to calm down; Delliasse is calm.

"I am Deliah."
I bend down from the stage to shake his hand. I just disobeyed the rule, but it is a minority. It won't effect me, right.

I see a little girl over to the side. An obvious outlier from the tough-looking men in a crowd. She makes eye contact with me. Smile and wave, slowly and calmly.

This is Princess Deliah. Reserved and Calm. The side of me I show.

I feel a brush on my ankle. A man is touching it.
"Ew." I walk away.

Oh. That.
I am not to say that. That man is weird, but I shouldn't crack my persona over a man. I hate men.

I am alone on a big stage with so many boys whispering and looking up at me. I start to get a headache; everything seems so fast, and then i would take a deep breath, and everything seems so slow. I panic.

The crowd is larger than I'll ever see. My dads are over to the left, near the little girl. Dad is smiling encouragingly; Paps is grinning. I need a little help here.